The present invention relates to free-standing commercial display cases and more particularly to those provided with indirect lighting and lamp ventilating equipment.
It is well known that relatively high level, incandescent illumination hightens the attractiveness of most goods and packaging, especially jewelry. Merchants have made use of this visual effect with overhead spotlights, track lighting and the like to display their wares. Incandescent bulbs are preferred over fluorescent tubes because the light emitted from a glowing filament spans the entire visible spectrum, whereas the excitation of gases contained in and particles coating the inner surface of a luminescent source creates light having a considerably more limited range of wavelenqths. Many types of merchandise, especially jewelry and crystal, have a prismatic effect on light. This aesthetically pleasing effect is enhanced when the available light can be separated into the entire spectrum, as in the case of incandescent illumination, rather than into the much smaller fraction of colors attendant to luminescent sources. In addition, high wattage incandescent lamps are preferred over relatively low wattage sources of like kind because the former impart greater brilliance, depth and contrast to the objects they illuminate than the latter.
Heretofore, however, fluorescent or relatively low wattage incandescent lighting has been employed in merchandise showcases because asubstantial amount of heat and, of course, light are generated by relatively high-powered incandescent lamps. Both of these elements can cause damage or discomfort to the shopper or merchant who comes too close to the lamp or who receives light directly in the eyes. In addition, the heat from the lamp can damage the case or its contents if it becomes trapped inside.
The closest prior art known to the inventors is U.S. Pat. Re. 22,735 issued Mar. 26, 1946 to James. The James reissue patent discloses a fluorescent lamp mounted in a lower rear portion of a case below the display area floor. A portion of the light emitted from the lamp reflects off of a first mirror on a lower front wall, passes through an opening in the display area floor and reflects off of a second mirror at the top of the display area. While the James reference teaches the use of mirrors and an apertured deck to prevent light from striking the viewer's eyes, the display case disclosed therein cannot provide large amounts of light to the goods. First, a high powered bulb could not be used because there is no ventilation system for such a lamp. Secondly, the hidden light source, translucent floor and dual reflectors diffuse the light unduly.
In contrast, the present invention includes a relatively powerful incandescent lamp, a ventilation system to remove heat generated by the lamp, and a plurality of relatively short light pathways between the source and the goods, as hereinafter described in some detail.